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Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

H.D. Woodson High School

Public Grades 9-12

35^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 37 District Of Columbia High Schools

Better than 5% of District Of Columbia high schools

Summary

H.D. Woodson High School is a District of Columbia Public Schools high school in Washington, DC, serving grades 9–12 and 579 students. Its 2024–25 graduation rate was higher than the district and state rates, but the most important concern is its very low 2025–26 proficiency: 16% in English Language Arts and 2% in Mathematics.

Graduation is a relative strength: 83% of students graduated in 2024–25, compared with 78% in the district and 79% statewide. Testing results, however, were well below both comparison groups: ELA was 24 percentage points below the state and 28 below the district, while Mathematics was 26 points below the state and 32 below the district. Among nearby high schools with reported all-grades results, Woodson’s ELA score was below the group’s 19% average, and its Mathematics score was below the 5% average. English I stands out as a local bright spot—it was the second-highest nearby result—but English II and Algebra I were especially weak; Algebra I was the lowest nearby result.

Recent all-grades scores have declined: ELA fell from 24% in 2024–25 to 16% in 2025–26, and Mathematics from 3% to 2%. SchoolDigger ranked Woodson 35th of 37 schools, at the 5th percentile with 0 stars in 2025–26, down from the 20th percentile and 1 star the prior year. Its 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 9.2, below the nearby-school average of 10.6; 66% of students were directly certified for free meals that year. Historical SchoolDigger subgroup rankings also show a notable contrast: in 2022–23, the special education student percentile was 70, compared with 12 overall, while the low-socioeconomic-status student percentile dropped from 44 in 2024–25 to 9 in 2025–26. The special education ranking is historical, not a measure of current performance.

579

Students ?

9.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$34,502

Per pupil spending ?

65.6%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

540 55th St. NE
Washington, DC 20019

(202) 939-2030

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Feeder schools for H.D. Woodson High School:

Elementary:	Burrville Elementary School
	C.W. Harris Elementary School
	Drew Elementary School
	Houston Elementary School
	More...
	Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School
	Nalle Elementary School
	Smothers Elementary School
	Thomas Elementary School
Middle:	Kelly Miller Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

92.1%

Hispanic:

7.3%

White:

0.3%

See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

Compare H.D. Woodson High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 10th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2026

Strengths

✓83% graduate in 4 years — above the District Of Columbia average (79%)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

!Mathematics scores 26 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

District Of Columbia avg28%

35^th of 37

District Of Columbia public high schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 18High Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	24.6	35 of 37	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	28 of 35	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.9	26 of 34	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	30 of 34	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	23 of 30	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	27 of 34	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.1	24 of 34	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	25.8	27 of 34	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.4	26 of 31	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.7	26 of 29	10.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	16.6	28 of 35	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.2	24 of 31	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	13.0	27 of 31	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	21.6	23 of 30	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	34 of 35	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	30.2	25 of 32	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	30 of 33	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	28 of 34	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	41.3	7 of 19	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.1	23 of 31	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.5	18 of 33	45.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	25.1	26 of 31	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.7	20 of 32	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	30 of 33	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.8	18 of 32	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.8	27 of 28	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	27 of 30	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	25.6	30 of 32	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	26.3	27 of 33	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2023	33.7	3 of 10	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	41.4	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆
2019	27.4	21 of 25	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.4	11 of 26	57.7%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2023)70th percentile+58 vs school

At Risk (2022)63rd percentile+40 vs school

Female (2019)16th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2019)6th percentile-14 vs school

African American (2026)3rd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I140%+128 vs state

English I20%-17 vs state

English Language Arts16%-24 vs state

English II12%-26 vs state

Geometry2%-13 vs state

Mathematics2%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near H.D. Woodson High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)				DC CAPE Mathematics (2026)				DC CAPE English II (2026)	DC CAPE Algebra II (2026)	DC CAPE Algebra I (2026)	DC CAPE Geometry (2026)	DC CAPE English I (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC CAPE English Language Arts 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	DC CAPE English II End of Course	DC CAPE Algebra II End of Course	DC CAPE Algebra I End of Course	DC CAPE Geometry End of Course	DC CAPE English I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
H.D. Woodson High School	Public	9-12	540 55th St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-2030	579	62	9.2	65.6%	2 (0.3%)	533 (92.1%)	42 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24.6	35^th of 37 public high schools	5.4%		28.4	28^th of 35 public high schools	20.0%	7				16.0				1.8	12.1		1.4	2.1	20.3	$34,502	$2,970	$31,532
Maya Angelou PCS - High School	Public, Charter	9-12	5600 East Capitol Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Maya Angelou PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 379-4335	218	22	9.9	82.6%	1 (0.5%)	215 (98.6%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$54,609	$1,969	$52,640
Ron Brown College Preparatory High School	Public	9-12	4800 Meade St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 729-4343	196	29	6.7	49.5%	0 (0.0%)	183 (93.4%)	10 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	27	32^nd of 37 public high schools	13.5%		31.5	25^th of 35 public high schools	28.6%	7				12.4				6.3	13.3		6.9	6.0	10.4	$43,340	$3,130	$40,210
Idea Pcs	Public, Charter	9-12	1027 45th Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Idea Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 399-4750	350	36	9.7	67.7%	0 (0.0%)	330 (94.3%)	19 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	29.5	23^rd of 37 public high schools	37.8%		31.2	26^th of 35 public high schools	25.7%	3				14.9				7.1	14.3		11.8	2.7	15.7	$30,261	$2,815	$27,446
Friendship PCS - Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	4095 Minnesota Avenue NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 396-5500	745	68	10.9	63.6%	2 (0.3%)	712 (95.6%)	20 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	28.6	25^th of 37 public high schools	32.4%		32.6	24^th of 35 public high schools	31.4%	1				18.6				4.2	20.5		6.1	2.4	17.1	$30,488	$3,084	$27,404
The SEED PCS of Washington DC	Public, Charter	9-12	4300 C Street SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Seed Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 248-7773	245	14	17.1	76.3%	0 (0.0%)	227 (92.7%)	15 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	24.3	36^th of 37 public high schools	2.7%		11.9	35^th of 35 public high schools	0.0%	1				4.4				3.1	8.5		3.3	3.0		$84,936	$5,213	$79,722
Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy	Public, Charter	6-12	3701 Hayes Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-2230	367	41	8.9	71.9%	1 (0.3%)	320 (87.2%)	40 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	28.6	26^th of 37 public high schools	29.7%		35	20^th of 35 public high schools	42.9%	6	20.7	15.9		22.1			3.0	1.4	24.5			2.5	18.9	$34,869	$6,802	$28,067
Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering High School	Public	9-12	704 26th St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 729-4360	350	33	10.6	52.3%	3 (0.9%)	310 (88.6%)	30 (8.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	53.3	10^th of 37 public high schools	73.0%		43.2	13^th of 35 public high schools	62.9%	3				41.7				10.5	41.5		12.0	9.2	41.8	$30,994	$2,462	$28,532
Maya Angelou Academy at DC DoC	Public	9-12	1901 D Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	DC Department of Corrections as the State Public Agency (SPA	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 698-4932	45	15	3.0	51.1%	0 (0.0%)	42 (93.3%)	3 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Eastern High School	Public	9-12	1700 East Capitol St. NE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-4500	909	85	10.7	57.3%	26 (2.9%)	807 (88.8%)	56 (6.2%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.5%)	26.9	33^rd of 37 public high schools	10.8%		32.9	23^rd of 35 public high schools	34.3%	10				19.9				1.8	24.6		2.5	1.0	15.1	$28,663	$2,830	$25,833

Frequently Asked Questions about H.D. Woodson High School

What district is H.D. Woodson High School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

What schools feed into H.D. Woodson High School?

H.D. Woodson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Burrville Elementary School
Elementary : C.W. Harris Elementary School
Elementary : Drew Elementary School
Elementary : Houston Elementary School
Elementary : Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School
Elementary : Nalle Elementary School
Elementary : Smothers Elementary School
Elementary : Thomas Elementary School
Middle : Kelly Miller Middle School

What is the racial makeup of H.D. Woodson High School?

Students at H.D. Woodson High School are 92% African American, 7% Hispanic.

Is H.D. Woodson High School a good school?

H.D. Woodson High School ranks in the bottom 5.4% of District Of Columbia high schools.

How many students attend H.D. Woodson High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 579 students attended H.D. Woodson High School.

Rate H.D. Woodson High School!

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.